This is breaking news and may change.
Today in St. Louis, police arrested former Intercept writer Juan Thompson in connection with a string of bomb threats made against Jewish centers in recent weeks. He has been indicted on a federal cyberstalking charge, which carries up to five years in prison, although subsequent charges are expected to follow.
Police do not believe Thompson was the main force behind the recent threats, which have targeted as many as 100 Jewish centers in recent weeks. Prosecutors believe Thompson made only eight of the threats, including one call to the national Anti-Defamation League headquarters in New York, as part of a larger harassment campaign against an ex-girlfriend. Police have been unable to trace the sources of the other calls, due to spoofing measures taken by the callers.
In a series of recenttweets, Thompson suggested he was being framed for the bomb threats by a vindictive ex.
Wow.
Juan Thomson was fired by the Intercept last year. The Intercept is an online news journal edited by Glenn Greenwald, Betsy Reed, and Jeremy Scahill. I’ll leave whether it’s a progressive, centrist, libertarian, liberal, or conservative news outlet to people who like to fight about said things. I will say I like Scahill and can’t stand Greenwald—someone who I think is a terrible person---but they were right to fire Juan Thomson, who never took responsibility for what he did.
I’m glad they caught this smegmanugget but for frek’s sake, dudes, do you have to go the “gosh, ima call in bomb threats and terrify a nation” to get back at an ex route? can’t you just let it go when it’s over?
Anyway more as this develops.